Introduction to Journalism

Course Overview

In this course, let's explore the Essential Components of Impactful Journalism, Including Methodology, Style, Audience Engagement, Best Practices, and Legal Considerations. What does this course tell?
(Please note that the following overview content is from Alison)
This free online Journalism course will introduce you to the elements that make a journalistic piece effective - methodology, style, audience, best practice and legal issues. Do you want to become a journalist? What do journalists do from day to day? What constitutes a newsworthy story? This course tackles these questions and more. Check out this short course today, to bring your journalistic skills to the next level.

What you can get from this course?
We consider the value of this course from multiple aspects, and finally summarize it for you from three aspects: personal skills, career development, and further study:
(Kindly be aware that our content is optimized by AI tools while also undergoing moderation carefully from our editorial staff.)
Skills and Knowledge Acquired:
Through this course, students will acquire a range of skills and knowledge related to journalism. These include understanding the elements that contribute to effective journalism, such as news pegs, the beat system, assignment sheets and files. Students will also learn about nurturing sources and maintaining relationships, as well as the three stages of the interview process. Additionally, students will gain knowledge on how to structure a feature story and the criteria for creating a newsworthy story, including idea generation and source gathering. Furthermore, students will learn about the functions of editorials and how to differentiate between opinions and facts. Finally, students will gain an understanding of the ethical responsibilities of journalists, legal issues related to Freedom of Information, libel, plagiarism and fabricating news and images, as well as the roles of different news editors and production teams.


Contribution to Professional Growth:
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of journalism, which can be beneficial for professional growth. It covers topics such as news pegs, the beat system, assignment sheets and files, nurturing sources, the three stages of the interview process, structuring a feature story, criteria for creating a newsworthy story, objectivity and impartiality, legal issues, ethical responsibilities, and roles of different news editors and production teams. By learning these topics, media professionals and students can gain the skills necessary to work as a professional journalist.


Suitability for Further Education:
This course is suitable for preparing further education in journalism. It covers a wide range of topics, from news pegs and the beat system to idea generation and source gathering. It also covers ethical responsibilities, legal issues, and the roles of different news editors and production teams. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the skills required for working as a professional journalist, making it an ideal choice for those looking to further their education in the field.